Burglar logs into Facebook on victim's computer

MINNESOTA - (ABC NEWS) A Minnesota man has become people's exhibit No. 1 for why a life of crime and a social media habit don't mix.

Nick Wig was arrested Thursday after allegedly breaking into a home in Dakota County, south of Minneapolis, authorities said. His undoing, they said, was that he logged into his Facebook account on homeowner James Wood’s computer and forgot to log out.

“This is a first case in Dakota County in which a suspected burglar left his Facebook profile on the computer screen of the victim’s computer,” Monica Jensen, spokesperson for the Dakota County Attorney’s Office told ABC News today.

Wood got home Thursday morning and found his front door had been unlocked and an outer screen had been removed from a window of his house, according to the criminal complaint. Wood told authorities that missing items included cash, a checkbook, credit cards, keys and a watch.

He also told police that someone had used his computer to log onto the Facebook page of “Nick Dub,” later identified as Nick Wig. On the floor near the computer lay a pile of soaking wet shoes and jeans that did not belong to Wood or his son, Wood told police.

Later that morning, as Wood was driving in the neighborhood, Wood spotted a man on the street that looked like the man in the Facebook page photos and contacted authorities. When officers apprehended Wig, he was wearing a watch that matched the description of the one taken in the burglary, police said. Wig told officers that he was going to give everything back, according to the criminal complaint. As Wig emptied his pockets of car keys and an iPod shuffle, Wood identified both items as belonging to him, authorities said.

Wig later admitted to entering Wood’s home and taking the property reported stolen, authorities said. He also admitted logging into his Facebook page using Wood’s computer.

Wig has been charged with burglary in the second degree, a felony, authorities said. If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in jail and up to $20,000 in fines.

Wig's bail was set at $25,000 without conditions and $12,000 with conditions of release, which include no contact with the victim and no alcohol or controlled substance use, authorities said. His next court appearance has been set for July 15, indicating he has a public defender but it is unclear who has been named yet.